


Goodnight My Angel

by ALH1997



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Beginnings of Rossi/Strauss Relationship, Family, Movie Night, Quiet Night In
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:20:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23314558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALH1997/pseuds/ALH1997
Summary: A cute story following an evening with Erin Strauss and her daughter Jessica. Plus a surprise visit from a certain FBI agent at the end! Please R and R
Relationships: David Rossi/Erin Strauss
Kudos: 5





	Goodnight My Angel

It had been a long day.

Erin Strauss was sat behind her desk, piling through case reports and budget requests from the team. She looked at the clock on her computer. It was just coming up to quarter past three. Jess would be on her way in from school. She was now 11, in Sixth Grade, her first year at Junior High. Erin couldn’t believe how fast she was growing up. It seemed five minutes ago that she was in kindergarten. Seeing as it was a Friday, Erin wasn’t taking any work home. It would just be her and her baby tonight.

She carried on working until she heard footsteps in the hall outside and in came Jess, smiling from ear to ear, talking with Jack Hotchner. They must have caught the same train down to the offices.

“Hello you two!” Erin smiled coming out from behind her desk so she could greet her daughter.

“Hey Mom.” Said Jess, hugging her.

“Hello, Ms. Strauss!” Jack smiled. Erin gave him a quick hug too.

“Jack, you know I’ve told you to call me Erin.” She smiled.

“Sorry.” He looked at Jess, “I’m going to find my Dad. Wanna come?”

Jess looked at Erin.

“Go say hi to the team. I just need to finish a few things here and then we’ll be heading home ok?”

Jess nodded and ran out the door following Jack. Erin couldn’t help but smile. The two of them were inseparable and Erin thought it good that Jess have someone who understood what it was like to have a parent working in the FBI.

A few hours later and Erin and Jess were at home. They were still getting used to it being the two of them. Amber and Jason had left them a few months ago. Jason had his own place with his partner and Amber had gone back to live with her father. Which left just Jess and Erin. As much as Erin missed her other children, she was enjoying the time she had with Jess. They had made sure that Friday’s were just for the two of them. They would order in and watch a movie or play games or just sit and read. The point was that Friday was their day. This Friday, they were having pizza and movies.

Walking in through the front door, Jess dumped her bag and kicked off her sneakers. She then ran up the stairs to her bedroom. Putting a CD in the player, she danced around her room for a bit. She was just jumping about to ‘Mr Blue Sky’ when her mom knocked on the door. When she got no response, Erin pushed the door open and smiled. Jess was in her pyjamas dancing around her room, with no cares in the room. She knew that Jess came up and did this in the evenings, it was her way of unwinding. She liked to “dance it out”. Erin coughed to announce her presence. Jess looked round and saw her mother and smiled.

“C’mon Mom! Come and join me!”

Erin was about to say no, when Jess came and grabbed her hands and led her into the room and soon mother and daughter were completely and utterly lost in the music, laughing and grinning ear to ear. Then they flopped on to Jessie’s bed laughing.

“I came to ask you what Pizza you wanted!” Erin panted, trying to catch her breath. She wasn’t as young as she was.

“You had fun though, Mom. I haven’t seen you smile like that in ages Mom. Especially since David Rossi started at the BAU.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Erin smiled, “You are just too curious for you own good.”

“Mom, I know there’s a story there but I respect you enough to let you tell me in your own time!”

“Thanks Jessica!” Erin smiled at her daughter, “Now what Pizza do you want?”

“Can I have a meatball one please?” she asked, “And I was kinda hoping you would tell me after that!”

Erin grinned, “I know you were!” she tapped her nose, “One meatball pizza being ordered. Garlic pizza bread?”

“Of course!” replied Jess, “Have you got popcorn and soda?”

“Of course! What are we watching tonight?”

“How about Mamma Mia?” said Jess

“Sounds good to me!” replied Erin and she left the room.

Jess was curled up on the sofa, nestled into her mother when the doorbell rang.

“PIZZA!” shouted Jess, jumping off the sofa and running to the door.

“Hang on Jess!” called Erin, trying not to laugh, “Wait for me!”

“C’mon, Momma! I want pizza!” Jess was bouncing by the door.

Erin shook her head and smiled. She walked over to the door and opened it. She paid for the pizza and brought it into the house.

“It smells so good!” Jess said, running into the kitchen.

“Why don’t you get some plates out of the cupboard and some glasses and I’ll sort the pizza!”

“Ok, momma!” Jess ran over the cupboard and took out two plates. She placed them on the side and then found two glasses on the counter and brought them over.

“If you look in the fridge, you might find some Pepsi!” Erin smiled as she placed some pizza on the plates.

“Oh thanks Mom!”

“My treat, sweet girl!”

Jess grabbed the Pepsi bottle and poured some into the glasses. They then carried the food and drink into the living room. They spread it out on the floor and just chatted while they ate. Erin asked about school and how she was doing and Jess asked about life at the BAU.

“Ooh, Mom, Spence has asked me over to his flat on Sunday. He’s going to help me with my physics paper, and my chemistry paper. Is it ok if I go? He only asked me this afternoon. I think Jack’s going to be there…”

“Yes, baby, you can go. I trust Dr. Reid. It’s good of him to take his days off and spend them helping you kids.”

“Thanks Mom.” Jess smiled, “The team are amazing. You know Derek offered to teach me baseball?”

Erin shook her head as she took a bite of pizza.

“Well, I mentioned that Ashley and I were struggling in gym class when it came to baseball and weren’t enjoying it and Derek was like ‘well we can’t have that!’ and offered to help us with the baseball and Emily has said that she’s going to help me with my French!”

“Wow, you are so lucky to have so many gifted people around you!” Erin smiled.

“I know. The BAU are like my family. Is that weird?”

Erin shook her head, “Not at all sweet girl.” She paused, “I know it hasn’t been easy… growing up with… everything that’s happened to you… but the team… I’m really glad you have bonded and are getting on well with them.”

Jess smiled, “Thanks Mom. Spence is like my brother. He’s amazing, he always makes me smile and he’s always has time for me. Emily, JJ and Penelope are all like sisters and Derek and Hotch are like Uncles.”

“What about Agent Rossi?” asked Erin, “Where does he fit into all this?”

Jess looked at her mother and took a sip of her drink, “I’ve not really got to know him yet Mom. He keeps himself to himself mostly. I’ve only really spoken to him that one time.”

“That’s ok. I’m sure he’ll be around for a while so you’ve plenty of time to get to know him.”

“You want me to get to know him?” Jess asked.

Erin thought for a minute. “Yes, I think so. I mean, it would be a bit odd if Dave Rossi was the only member of the team that you didn’t speak to, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s true.” Jess replied. “What’s he like?”

“I don’t know. I’ve not spoken to him in ten years. I mean, I obviously spoke to him when I hired him back, but I’ve not spoken to him unprofessionally for a while.”

Jess didn’t say anything in response to this but just finished her pizza. Erin watched her daughter for a bit and was reminded in certain mannerisms of Dave Rossi. She sighed. She wouldn’t take back the affair with Rossi because she wouldn’t have Jess but there were times and moments where she wished she wasn’t reminded of him in Jess.

After a few minutes of pondering, Erin looked and saw that they both had empty plates.

“Jess, help me with the clearing up, then I’ll fix the movie snacks and we can put the film on.”

Jess jumped up and carried the plates into the kitchen. Erin followed with the glasses. Jess loaded the dishwasher as Erin poured the popcorn into bowls and poured fresh Pepsi into their glasses. Jess put the empty pizza boxes in the trash and came back in.

“It’s gone cold out there, mom!” Jess said, shivering.

Erin smiled and walked over to her daughter. She crouched down and hugged her daughter, rubbing her with her hands.

“That better, sweet girl?”

Jess nodded and smiled, kissing her mother on the cheek, “I love you, momma!”

“I love you too, sweet girl!”

“Can we do the sing along version of Mamma Mia!?” asked Jess as they walked back into the lounge.

Erin sighed, knowing she would full well regret saying yes but Fridays were all about having fun and chilling out.

“Yes, we can!”

“Yes!” smiled Jess.

Jess had both her and Erin singing along to all the songs but Erin would sing quieter so that she could hear her daughter sing. She was a gifted singer and Erin loved to listen to her sing. Jess also had them doing all the dance routines. When it came to ‘Slipping through my fingers’, Jess snuggled into her mom and listened to her sing it. And that’s how they stayed for the rest of the film. As the credits rolled up, Erin looked down, just realizing how quiet her daughter had become and Jess had fallen fast asleep in her lap. Erin smiled and watched her for a few minutes, remembering how she would fall asleep in her office when she was younger or how she would climb into bed with her if she had a nightmare. She looked so peaceful and Erin didn’t want to wake her up but knew that she had to.

“Jessie, baby, you need to wake up now.” Erin said

Jess moaned softly in her sleep and blinked her eyes open. “Sorry.” She said softly.

Erin stroked her hair, “Don’t be sorry, Jessie, c’mon let’s go to bed.”

Erin followed Jess up the stairs and made sure she brushed her teeth. She then tucked her into bed and said goodnight.

“I love you sweet girl.” Erin whispered, “So very much!” and she left the room.

Making her way back downstairs, Erin tidied up the lounge and poured herself a glass of wine. She would settle in the sofa and read a book for a couple of hours, have a few hours to herself.

Well, that’s what she thought anyway.

Just as she had opened her book, there was a light knock at the door. Erin looked up. She wasn’t expecting anyone. She made her way to the door, getting her firearm out of the drawer on her way through.

She peered through the peep hole and saw Dave Rossi stood on her doorstep. She rolled her eyes and opened the door.

“What do you want?” she asked

“Nice to see you too.” He looked at the gun in her hand, “Expecting someone else?”

“I wasn’t expecting anyone. I’ve just put Jess to bed and was having a few hours to myself.”

“It can be lonely on your own…” Dave smiled at her.

“What do you want Dave?” Erin asked again, but she could feel her barriers breaking down.

“You.” He replied and he stepped over the threshold and kissed her as though he hadn’t kissed her in a thousand years.

THE END


End file.
